The present invention relates to the continuous casting art and, more specifically, concerns a new and improved construction of a continuous casting installation containing an oscillating open-ended mold--also referred to as an oscillating continuous casting mold--and an at least partially curved support guide arrangement for the continuously cast strand. The support guide or roller apron, following a first zone of the support guide or roller apron arrangement, is attached to a machine base frame.
It is known in the continuous casting art to secure the continuous casting mold, by means of two parallel guide elements, at a support of the casting platform structure and to connect the support guide, following the continuous casting mold, with another support of the casting platform structure. Depending upon loading of the casting platform by tundish carriages, ladle carriages and so forth, there are possible elastic deformations at the casting platform structure. Due to irregular heating of individual structural components, during the continuous casting operation, there can additionally arise irregular expansion of such parts of components. The mentioned deformations and expansions can lead to dislocation of the support guide elements or segments along the strand guide track, especially between the mold and the first zone of the support guide arrangement, which, in turn, can lead to flaws or defects in the continuously cast strand.
Also with another state-of-the-art continuous casting installation it is known to define the oscillation path of the mold by means of guide elements or links secured at the machine base frame, at least one of the guide elements or links is connected with an oscillation drive. The non-oscillating first zone of the support guide arrangement, directly following the continuous casting mold, is retained by a support or carrier fixed to the machine base frame and is slidingly guided in relation to the continuous casting mold. The support guide following the first zone likewise is fixed at the machine base frame. With this continuous casting installation the mold and the first zone can be upwardly disassembled. Repair work at the movable parts of the oscillation mechanism, such as the bearings of the guide levers or mold saddle, must be accomplished at the continuous casting installation itself or by removing a number of bearing bolts of the guide elements or links which govern the oscillation movement. Such work is both time consuming and increases the downtimes of such continuous casting installation.